So much has happened this summer! The highest number of animal cruelty cases since 2006. Then came the cat hoarding situation and the filming of "Confessions: Animal Hoarding" for Animal Planet.The show hasn't aired yet, but we're hearing rumors that it will be either late November or the beginning of the new year. There were over 200 cats in the house. We took as many as we could, there are still 15 cats in the house, but we ran out or places for them to go. Even the production company from Animal Planet said they produce these shows all over the country and our case was the most difficult to find rescue groups to take the animals.
Then came 49 Guinea Pigs who were dumped in the brush along the banks of Cooper River. The 49 quickly turned into 60 because many of the females were pregnant. We still have 20 left. If you know anyone who wants a guinea pig or two or three, we have them. They make wonderful class room pets for teachers! And of course, some of the hoarder house cats are still at the shelter too. Lots of kittens too!!!
We are holding three boxers who were involved in a bite case. They mauled a man, pack style. The dogs are truly the victims in this case. They are wonderful with the shelter staff but their fate must be decided by the judge. We shower them with love and attention while they wait.
We have gotten one dog at the shelter six times. Took the owner to court and the judge gave him his dog back. We have had him twice since then, less than a month after he went to court. Have the dog back again now and heading back to court soon.
Sassy and Lisa are mother and daughter. They are 7 and 9 years old. Their owner's husband passed away and the owner lost her home. Sassy, Lisa and their owner were walking around town, homeless and sleeping on the back porches of friend's homes. Their owner refused to go to a homeless shelter until she knew her dogs would be taken care of. Steve went and picked the dogs up and brought them to the shelter. Their mom has been struggling to get her life back in order so she can be re-united with her dogs. On November 1, Sassy and Lisa's owner will move into a new apartment where she is permitted to have her dogs. This will soon be a story with a very happy ending!
Mocha, our longest resident, went home this month. We wish Mocha and her new family a wonderful new life together. Mocha deserves it. Someone gave Mocha to a teenage boy when she was a little 8 week old puppy. The boy took the puppy home but his mother said the dog was not allowed in the house. Mocha spent 4 months alone in a backyard with no shelter and many times no food or water. When a neighbor finally told us about the situation, Mocha was 6 months old, covered with mange, emaciated and dirty. Her tail never stopped wagging. It took a few months to resolve her medical and behavioral issues (no manners because she lived alone in the yard), by then Mocha was a young adult pitbull mix waiting to be adopted. We are so glad she is now living in the home. We love you Mocha!!!!
Pretty Mocha!
We are a struggling animal shelter in a crises situation. Everyday I try to find a way to keep things going. I fall asleep (after working or pacing for hours) thinking about ways to keep the shelter going and spring up thinking about the same. Sometimes the ideas work and sometimes they are "half-baked" but they are always there!!
Today we are in the worst situation we have been in during our almost 6 years in business. We managed to keep going through some of the worst economic times our country has seen in decades, helping people to re-home their pets when they lost their jobs and homes, providing medical attention and surgeries for animals surrendered to us because their owners were financially broken. I feel like good things and miracles happen everyday at our shelter, for both the animals and people, and we want to continue doing this great work and improve upon the services and programs we offer, to help even more. My written plan grows every day.
We have never been a wealthy shelter by any stretch of the imagination, but we have managed to get by. Until recently that is. This summer was overwhelming. In 2006, we took in 699 animals for our first year. In 2010, we took in over 1500 animals and we are closer to 1700 this year. So many people call everyday that we cannot help for lack of funds and space. So many improvements are needed to our kennels and cat rooms. We are struggling to pay for spay/neuter surgery, medications and all the supplies needed to care for the animals and the building on a daily basis. Most of all, we need to get animals adopted so we can help even more. Since the economy has taken a turn for the worse, both adoptions and donations have consistently decreased. We may not survive if we cannot turn this around.
We have several events coming up and hope that you will be able to attend one or all:
Fundraising Events
1. "Spay-ghetti (No Balls) Dinner" to generate funds to spay/neuter all the cats and dogs before they go to their forever home.
Date: Saturday, November 12
Place: St. Marks Lutheran Church
409 White Horse Pike and the corner of 1 E. Haddon Ave
Oaklyn, NJ 08107. 856-854-7959
Time: 2 pm to 7 pm
Cost: $15 adult,s $10 kid,s $40 for take-out for a family of four, $5 for single serving
leftovers. Eat-in or take-out, Dinner includes Salad, Spay-ghetti, garlic bread
and assorted desserts.
There will be a magician for face painting and balloon creations too. We will also have a Police K-9 Demonstration and Bed Bug Dog Demonstration, pictures can be taken with the dogs.
Hope to see you there!!!!
2. SOS (Save Our Shelter) - Melinda's Birthday Bash!!! This will be our final and most important event of the year. We have had to borrow $15,000 from the end of this year's contract in order to survive since August. Which means in the month of December we will not receive any funding. We must make up that money in order to survive the month and into next year. Any funds over and above that amount will go to support the Melinda Welsh Memorial Clinic (a soon to be established low cost spay/neuter clinic). Melinda would never have allowed me to throw a party for her. She would never want that much attention directed at her. But, she would want the funds generated from an event such as this to benefit the dogs and cats at the shelter. So, again, we endeavor to do good things for the animals in her name, honor and memory. Please join us for this very special event.
Date: Saturday, December 10
Time: 7 pm to 12 pm
Place: Collingswood Senior Community Center Ballroom
30 W. Collings Ave (next to firehouse)
Collingswood, NJ
Come Party with us for the animals in Melinda's Honor. There will be wine and beer (your are welcome to bring any other alcohol), a food buffet, desserts, a basket auction. silent auction, and lots of dancing with a great band - The Strayz - Pitbulls of Rock. You won't be disappointed. Tickets are $25 per person and can be purchased at the shelter - you can stop in and pick them up or pay by credit card over the phone (856) 663-3058 and we will mail them to you or hold them at the door for you. You can also purchase them at The Retrospect Newspaper on Haddon Ave.
If you have any questions or would like any further information about either of our events, please don't hesitate to contact the shelter at (856) 663-3058
We wish to thank all of you who have supported us over the last 5 1/2 years. I don't know what we would do without our wonderful volunteers. The donations of wish list items are so important and we would not have survived this summer without them. I hope that you will continue your support for the animals at our shelter. We are in the midst of the most desperate situation we have ever had. I am working as hard as I can to make sure we survive. Great things happen for both animals and people everyday at our shelter and it would be so sad to see that end. Again, our plan is to recover and move forward to make things bigger and better. We need your help to do that and we need it quickly. If you can donate now it would be so helpful. You can send a check or call the shelter (856) 663-3058 to make a donation by credit card over the phone. I hope to see everyone at both or one of our upcoming events. We really do need you help. PLease don't hesitate to stop in and walk a dog or two or hang out with the cats. Thank you for you kindness and consideration towards Almost Home Animal Shelter. Together we can make this happen.
Nancy Welsh
Madison is now our longest resident.
